What Have You Done
by distortedpoetry
Summary: A deadly civil war has broken out in Wei. The Cao loyalists, determined to take back their kingdom from the usurpers, mobilize at Xuchang. However, fate dictates that only one side shall depart the battlefield alive... ("Phoenix Fall, Qilin Rising" spin-off, implied Sima Shi/OC)


**Author's Not****e**: This is a spin-off/alternate scenario for my other fic, _Phoenix Fall, Qilin Rising_. To understand this piece better, I HIGHLY recommend reading that one first! Certain things probably won't make sense otherwise, so don't say I didn't warn you.

I was inspired to write this 'what-if?' path while I was planning out the original fic. Thinking upon the direction I wanted the series to go, my mind ended up wandering into hypothetical territory. And thus, this story was conceived. Basically, this is what would have happened if Xiang chose to join the loyalist rebel army instead of remaining in Luoyang after her nephew Cao Fang was deposed by Sima Shi. Other things change as well, so keep an eye out for them. :D

I should also note that this is one of the very few times—if not one of the _only_ times—that I'll actually use style names. And yes, the title of this fic is a direct reference to the Within Temptation song of the same name. Lyrics are used as well; these will be italicized.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Dynasty Warriors. All characters, places, etc. belong to their respective copyright holders. However, original characters are NOT to be used without the author's permission! I am not gaining profit from the writing of this fan fiction.

* * *

**What Have You Done**

By

distortedpoetry

* * *

The bitter wind lashed at the walls of Xuchang Palace, showing no mercy to those holed up inside.

Hearing the sound of crunching snow, the guards posted outside snapped to attention. A figure of tall stature approached them calmly, as to not incite alarm. As he came closer, they pointed their weapons threateningly at the unknown visitor.

"State your name!" one of them ordered.

"Wen Yang," the man replied, moving aside the scarf that covered the lower half of his youthful face. The guards lowered their weapons upon realizing that the stranger was one of their own. "I need to speak with the commander immediately."

They allowed him passage. He slipped past them, spending no time in dallying as he made his way to the strategy room. Once there, he opened the door without bothering to knock first, interrupting the generals who were crowded around the center table.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion? Explain yourself!"

Cao Xiang stretched an arm to stop Guanqiu Jian from stringing the young man out. "_Enough_." Glowering, Jian backed off and retreated back to his seat. She turned to Yang, and asked, "You have news, I assume?"

"I do. However," he said, bowing apologetically, "I'm afraid it isn't anything good, my lady."

Noting the shakiness that began to pervade his voice, she slowly sucked in a breath. "What is it?"

"Father and brother, they... They have been defeated. Casualties were... heavy."

"Dammit," she murmured, pinching the bridge of her nose. She started to pace back and forth, willing herself to stay calm. "What about our supplies? Surely—"

"Gone. Taken by flames."

Her expression became momentarily crestfallen. "So he made absolutely sure that there would be nothing left for us to salvage. The bastard is thorough, though, I'll give him that."

"I should have been there," he lamented, staring sadly at the floorboards. "I should have..."

She placed a hand upon his shoulder and met his gaze. "Your father made his choice; he knew what he was getting into when he chose to join this cause." Though she struggled to find a way to keep the boy's morale up, she managed to force a small smile. A simple gesture, but there was nothing she could have done to make his family return. "No time for regrets, alright? We need to press on."

"Commander!"

Everyone turned to face the door.

"General Xiahou Ba," Xiang said coolly. "Is there something the matter?"

"The enemy army has been spotted setting up camp beyond the mountains." Anxiously, he shifted the weight of the siege spear in his hands as he continued. "If they intend to engage us, there's no doubt they'll be doing it soon."

"What about our reinforcements?" Jian asked, speaking up for the first time since Xiang's censure. "Shu was supposed to aid us if General Wen Qin's army was routed!"

Ba's face fell. "They're not coming."

Jian slammed a fist down on the table, knocking the markers down and away from their places on the map. "What do you mean, 'they're not coming'?!" He stabbed a finger at Ba. "_You_ were supposed to guarantee their cooperation!"

As the two of them argued, Xiang began pacing again, her mind running through a million thoughts per second. Wu had already lent some of their men in the last battle, but they were defeated along with the other half of the rebel forces. Shu must have heard about their overwhelming defeat and backed out at the last moment, she concluded.

"Because of you, we're all going to be killed!"

"I said it's not my fault!" Ba shouted defensively. "Just because I have family there, doesn't mean—"

Xiang laughed, the sound borderline mad. Jian and Ba ceased their bickering and turned to look at her. Yang stood near the doorway, his face contorted in confusion. The others simply stared in bewilderment at their seemingly crazed leader.

Eyebrow quirked in apprehension, Yang asked, "Is there something the matter, my lady?"

A titter later, and she had finally managed to compose herself. "So Jiang Wei decided it best that Shu not involve themselves and watch from the sidelines as we destroy ourselves from the inside." Again, she laughed, adding, "He's smarter than I had originally gave him credit for."

Yang crossed his arms and turned to Ba. "How much time do we have before Sima Shi's army arrives?"

"I don't think we have long," he answered. "He's a clever one, so there is a fair chance we'd be susceptible to a night raid"—he looked at Xiang—"unless we prepare ourselves beforehand."

Jian jumped from his chair. "I will mobilize the troops."

Xiang nodded in approval, before turning to Ba. "You go with him." Then, she faced Yang. "I want you to bolster our defenses and keep a sharp eye on the vicinity." The three of them gave a slight bow and left to attend to their assigned duties. She turned to those who were left. "As for the rest of you lot," she began, gesturing to the door. "I want you to help Ba and Jian take point."

The soldiers filed and made their exits. Xiang leaned over the table, gazing at the scattered markers before her eyes set on the capital of Wei—her former home. Like Wen Yang's father, she had made the decision join the rebellion, to leave Luoyang after her nephew's failed assassination attempt. She could have chosen to remain there, in the throes of _that man_—and allow him to have the one thing that he sought even more than power itself.

She didn't let him have it; the boy was no one's legacy to claim—especially not _his_.

Outside, snow began to fall upon the somber fields, while dusk made its descent upon the city. Soon, even the skies themselves would begin to bleed tears of regret and betrayal.

_Why does fate make us suffer?_

* * *

Xiang's Liuyedao penetrated the soldier's side, the blade easily slicing through the flimsy armor and into the soft flesh underneath. She jerked back the weapon and the man fell to the ground, his own blood choking his breath as it stained the freshly fallen layer of snow. Hearing a cry of agony behind her, she whirled around—and was just in time to witness Jian being cut down by a barrage of axes. A small distance away, enemy general Jia Chong stood, a darkly satisfied smile on his face.

"Shit," she murmured, eyes flicking around the battlefield. The scene was nothing short of gruesome, though relatively normal given the era; the sheer quantity of red coloring the area made no secret about the amount of compatriot massacring that was going on.

And it was awful, absolutely awful; being forced to murder your own countrymen always was.

She looked around frantically for any sign of her allies. Spotting Ba still at the head of the vanguard, she felt a small wave of relief wash over her—though that was quickly stemmed once she caught a glimpse of the opposition's leader. Sima Shi, in all of his dignified glory, rode into the field behind Jia Chong on his magnificent steed, his elite guards to the side while his brother and sister-in-law hovered near the flank.

"That arrogant son of a bitch," she said through clenched teeth. "What makes him think he can just—"

"My lady, watch out!"

She whipped around—and came face-to-face with the backside of Yang's armor. But something was off, something was... _wrong_. Before she was able to process the situation, her fellow ally was on his knees, blood seeping through a gouged hole in the plated mail.

"General Yang!" she screamed, eyes wide as she joined him on the reddening ground.

"I... apologize for not being—"

"Save your strength," she interjected, placing an arm around him in order to help him up. "It's not yet your time."

"You need to escape. I can't—" A cough shook through him violently and he fell into a weak heap.

"Don't say that," she said, kneeling to shake him and keep him conscious. Fear and panic began to surge through her veins as she saw his eyes slip closed. "General Yang! Get up!"

A familiar scream shot through the night; Ba crumpled to the ground before she was even able to turn and personally witness his demise. Xiang swallowed, mentally begging the dread to dissipate.

Yang coughed up more blood and mustered the last remnants of his fading strength. "Run..."

She rose to her feet, slowly backing away from the grim scene. Severely outnumbered, Xiang had few choices left available for her. Her generals were murdered, soldiers slaughtered by the hundreds—and to top everything off, the bulk of the enemy army was beginning to descend upon her position. And then there was Sima Shi...

Even though she felt that she was taking the coward's path, she quickly turned and bolted for the palace. As she ran, she continued to hear the echoes of her own men being slaughtered one by one back on the battlefield. She skidded to a halt once she was past the front gate, searching desperately for somewhere to go, for somewhere to hide.

_No_, she told herself. _I will not hide from him any longer._

Xiang would make her stand tonight—even if it was to be her last.

_I won't show mercy on you now..._

* * *

She heard his calm, calculated breathing even before he'd made himself known.

But Sima Shi was a very deliberate man; there wasn't a thing he did that didn't have some sort of reason behind it. Xiang slowed her own breathing, the wintry air of the palace liable to give away her position from the mist it left behind. She stood hidden behind a thick column, her sword held close to her battered, blood spattered armor. It seemed as if the enemy commander was alone. She wondered, was he actually so presumptuous that he wouldn't need backup?

Of course he wouldn't; it wasn't like the rebel army was much of an actual army any longer.

"Do you intend on hiding forever?"

His footsteps ceased, leaving only the sounds of their soft breathing mingling in the throne room. Feeling eyes linger on her form from behind the pillar, she clutched the Liuyedao's hilt so hard, her knuckles whitened. She exhaled slowly, preparing herself for what was to inevitably come; he had her cornered—literally—and there was nowhere to run. Even if she had somehow managed to escape his grasp, he probably had his generals stationed all over the palace, as well as outside of it, as a precautionary measure.

But now, it was time to face fate.

Xiang sprung from her hiding spot, weapon brandished, and charged at him. Her attack did little to dent his composure, however. As she made a move to strike at his side, he easily outmaneuvered her, stepping aside as she stumbled forward from the force of her own attack. Enraged, she regained her balance and made another attempt to knock him off his. Her weapon collided harmlessly with his own.

"Allowing your anger to get the best of you," Shi pointed out, letting a faint smirk tug at the corner of his mouth. "I thought you were better than that, princess."

"Don't you _dare_ call me that!" She threw her weight into the deadlock. "You lost the right to do so the moment you betrayed my family!" She glanced at the mask he wore and sneered, remembering what had caused the injury hidden behind it. "How's the eye, by the way?"

"Bitch," he growled, swiping at her with his lightning sword as she jumped back. Though missing fatal impact, he managed to impale part of the weapon's point into the shoulder of her cracked armor.

She winced, feeling the thin yet deadly blade pierce the fragile skin above her collarbone. But despite this, she laughed, sounding like her mind had been lost as a result of the wound he'd given her. "Now who is the one losing their composure?"

He retracted his weapon, flicked the blood off the blade, then pointed it at her. "Where is he?"

She stood, head held high, her own blade pointed at him in return. "Gone. Far away from all of this. And most importantly," she said, her mouth twinging into a sardonic, satisfied smile. "Out of _your_ reach."

"What have you done?" He moved the blade dangerously close to her neck. "Tell me!"

"Saved him," she said simply, allowing a single tear to fall as she made one last-ditch effort to knock him off his feet. Ducking under his lunging attack, she aimed for his legs with a sweeping motion.

But she was only met with failure.

He elbowed her in the back, knocking the wind out of her. Her vision blurred and she saw stars, unable to defend against his next action. She was sent reeling backward, her grip on her weapon lost. The sword flew in the opposite direction, clattering against one of the nearby columns as the back of her head made contact with the hard edge of the throne's bottom.

Before she could catch her breath, Shi stood above her. "I'll ask you one more time." He leaned down and lifted her partway up by her armor's collar. "_Where is he?_"

"I already told you," she choked out, vision now swaying in and out of focus as she felt blood seep from her skull, matting her dark hair. "I saved him..."

He tossed her, her weakening body landing haphazardly into the seat. Pinning her down with his own, he sat above her, his amber eyes narrowed in anger. "Why do you insist upon toying with me?! I need him! Need him to—"

"Continue your line?" She knew that he was dying. The assassination attempt was unable to take his life, but it did not spare his eye. The injury was further aggravated by another attack courtesy of both Jian and Yang's father; he had little time left. "_Ziyuan_... He deserves a better life than this. Don't make him suffer as we have..."

"Do _not_ call me that," he snapped, mirroring her own words from earlier. "You lost your right the moment you chose to betray _my_ trust."

"You're one to talk about trust," she spat, scowling up at him in resentment. "After all my family did for yours—"

He slapped her, the sound echoing throughout the empty room—and she retaliated by swiping at his cheek with the emeci hidden underneath her sleeve. The motion drew blood and barely missed his good eye. In a moment of blind rage, he ran his sword through her chest.

A gasp, then silence.

"Please..." she said softly, blood trailing from the corners of her mouth. Eyes slipping closed, she grasped his coat—much like she had that day so many years ago in Luoyang. "Let him be free... Don't force him into the shackles of this horrible existence... Please grant me this, my final wish..."

For just a fleeting second, it seemed as if he was taken aback by his own action. But stoicism quickly replaced the momentary look of regret as he retracted his blade. "I..." He paused, breathing a defeated sigh. "Fine. I shall honor it."

She tried to smile, but ended up coughing up blood instead. "Thank you, _Ziyuan_..."

Xiang went limp in his arms.

"Stubborn to the very end," he murmured, gazing at her still form. "If things were different, then maybe—"

"Brother!"

Sima Zhao rushed into the room. His wife Wang Yuanji and the other generals from the army were also in tow. Shi looked up, his mind still engrossed with his thoughts and of what had just transpired.

"I see the traitor is dead," Jia Chong observed. "Nice work, my lord."

Everyone nodded in agreement, while others let out cries of victory. Shi gazed at Xiang one last time before sitting her gently back down on the throne. His brother was beside him, giving him an encouraging pat on the back. They won the battle, but he had given up—willingly, even—something far more important. He wondered, was it all worth it? Preserving his family's legacy while ultimately ending his own?

"Arrange for the funerals," he said after a time, sheathing his sword while making his way to the door. "Traitors they may be, but they deserve to be honored with proper burials. Without their families, the Sima clan wouldn't be where we are today."

"As you wish, my lord."

"Of course, my lord."

Shi made his exit past the soldiers who milled inside—no doubt to clean up the mess he had left behind. His time was near; he felt the throbbing ache in his eye, blood drying over the stinging wound underneath the other. But nothing compared to the burning in his chest. Then, he collapsed, the sound of shouts and footsteps distorting into muffles before transitioning into nothingness.

Someday, maybe he would get the chance to meet his legacy—no, he stopped himself. _His son. _But for now, the heavens called his name.

And for the final time, his will had slipped from his grasp.

_We will be free when it ends..._


End file.
